The 2012 Fiscal Budget was present for public hearing and receipt by the Council at the April 9th Council meeting. It had been submitted on the last legal day the State had permitted for 2012.
If memory serves me right Director of Finance and Administration Restaino admitted that it had not been finished until just before the Council meeting. The Video's of the April Agenda and Business meetings if unedited will confirm the validity of this statement.
Administration was under a legal deadline to present a budget 4 months into the fiscal year so some one just threw in numbers. Once again the City was without responsible financial officers. The CFO had departed, the new (again) City Administrator had arrived on board just early this year and would have had little time to review fiscal matters from all of 2011, including the second half of FY2011 which ended in June and the 6months interim fiscal period.
The only three persons that could have knowledge to prepare a proper budget were; The Mayor, perhaps the Corporation Counsel, and in the absence of a City Administrator the Director of Finance and Administration.
The Mayor has shown a complete disregard for fiscal controls, apparently she feels her title makes her the most qualified to spend the taxpayers money even when funds are not available
The Corporation Counsel's expertice in legal matters and a 90 day stint as Acting City Administrator as well as his pending position as CEO of PMUA are his credentials.
I am not sure that except for his long time association with this administration as Director of Community Development** a Division of Public Works and Urban Development ; Al Restaino qualifications as Director of Administration and Finance is open to scrutiny. Incidentally since he is concurrently filling both posts; is he being paid accordingly? The description of Community Development is below**.
As I write this it has become apparent that the residents, taxpayers and renters will suffer because except for a few brief moments in the past six years there has been no one competent to be in charge of Plainfield's 72+million dollar budget.
Perhaps as Mr. Darden repeatedly advocates it is past time to have the State do an audit and take an active part in the City's fiscal affairs.
Plainfield can not continue as a place to live under present circumstances. It is possible to make sure things to not get worse by voting responsibly this June 5th. There can be no other choice than Mapp and Taylor no matter what your personal feelings are.
**The City of Plainfield Office of Community Development administers the following programs:
I. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
The CDBG Program which is funded through Union County is designed to:
I. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
The CDBG Program which is funded through Union County is designed to:
- Eliminate conditions detrimental to health, safety and public welfare.
- Reconstruct, replace, rehabilitate, acquire or construct facilities, including; street, water, sewer, fire protection, recreational, parking, neighborhood centers and barrier free facilities.
- Conserve and expand the City’’s housing stock.
- Assist in the conservation, expansion and construction of commercial and industrial facilities.
Mr. Kochel said the title of director of the Office of Community Development should have had perhaps a token $1 salary at most instead of $110,000, as Restaino is being paid for the department head title. If any administrator holds two titles, he or she can only get one salary.
ReplyDeleteBernice, form what you write I gather the "budget" list salary lines for post positions. The question is if he is being paid for both. Only an audit can reveal that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning a state audit. I've been asking for this for two years. Why this hasn't been done, I don't know. Perhaps if enough of us wrote the governor it might happen. This mayor is a joke and continually hurts the people of Plainfield with her inability to do her job properly.
ReplyDeleteBob Bolmer
Bob, better than individual letters, get a petition with a 1000 names mixed political affiliation. That would call for attention. Also look into a referendum but I have not looked up the mechanism to have it on the November ballot.
ReplyDelete